One of the biggest things missing from many people’s “financial plans” is the concept of “enough.” One of the most unsustainable aspects of our current way of living is this feeling like our security and personal worth is directly proportional to how much money we make or have. There very rarely comes a time when we say “hey, I’ve got enough money in the bank for now, I’m going to stop working until I need more.” Or, alternatively, “I’ve made enough money to meet my goals for this month, so all the rest of the work I do this month is free.”

After reading Sacred Economics, I’m through with the “growth economy.” I’m done with contributing to a system that requires others to lose for me to win. I want a system where everybody wins. I’m going to do my best to gracefully exit the stock market. I’m no longer going to include compound interest in my retirement or any financial planning. I’m going to find a way to make the money I can’t avoid having to spend doing something I really love, and I’m going to do it well enough so that money isn’t a big concern for me. And when I have enough, I’m going to stop charging. I’m not going give it away, or keep the extra, or figure out how to make even more money. I’m simply going to stop taking money for that month, or make the game free from then on, or only charge for my expenses. And I’m going to tell people I’m doing it. I want everyone to know how much more I need to make my plan, and what that plan is. I want them to be able to choose what they contribute to. Whenever someone pays me for something, I want them to see how it contributes directly to my life. I want them to see that little status bar go down every time they hit “Submit Payment,” and I want them to see the price change to “free” once I get everything paid for. I’m not taking a vow of poverty. I’m about to leave on a two month trip to Portland to live in someone’s front yard in a yurt I built mainly because it’s fucking cool. But I am taking a Vow of Enough. No millions for me. No unsustainable growth. No taking advantage of others because I’ve managed to work the system to my advantage, or because I already have a lot of money, or because I was born into the right family. I’ll ask for what I need, and then for what I want, and once I get it, I’m done.